ExamTeXHow do I turn my IB Economics notes into Paper 1 practice?
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Paper 1 gives you 75 minutes for one extended-response question with a 10-mark part (a) and a 15-mark part (b), chosen from three. Past papers run out fast, and they never target the unit you are weakest on. ExamTeX writes new Paper 1-style questions from your own class notes or from the IB syllabus outline, with a mark scheme that lists the definitions, diagrams, real-world examples and evaluation points an examiner credits.
Short answer
How can I make IB Economics Paper 1 practice questions from my notes?
Upload your IB Economics notes at examtex.com/create, or pick IB Economics and tick the units you are revising, choose essay questions, and generate. ExamTeX writes extended-response questions in the Paper 1 style, using IB command terms such as Explain, Discuss and Evaluate, each with a mark scheme listing the definitions, diagram, real-world example and evaluation an examiner credits. In the editor you can set part (a) to 10 marks and part (b) to 15 to match the paper, then print it and sit one question in 75 minutes.
How it works
1. Upload your notes or tick the units
Class notes, your own revision summaries, or the syllabus outline: pick IB Economics and tick units 2, 3 or 4, the three Paper 1 draws from. Up to 20 files in one exam.
2. Ask for essays in the IB Economics style
Set the question mix to essay questions and the time limit to 75 minutes. The IB Economics style tells the generator to use the command-term hierarchy (Explain for part a; Discuss, Evaluate, To what extent for part b) and IB mark conventions.
3. Sit one question, then mark it
Print the paper, answer one question in 75 minutes with no notes, then mark it against the mark scheme: definitions, a fully labelled diagram, a real-world example and a justified conclusion.
What to know
What the mark scheme contains
For each question: the terms to define, the diagram with its labels and shifts, the chain of reasoning, and for part (b) the evaluation an examiner looks for (short run against long run, stakeholders, assumptions, priorities) with a conclusion. It is written as indicative content, the way IB markschemes are, so you can self-mark against the markbands.
SL and HL
Paper 1 is the same paper for SL and HL. Questions stay answerable at both levels unless your material is HL-only; say "HL" in the instructions box if you want HL content such as the theory of the firm or the Marshall-Lerner condition.
Real-world examples
Part (b) rewards named, dated examples with a figure. The mark scheme suggests the kind of example that fits; replace it with the cases from your own notes before the exam, because a generic example ("a country with a sugar tax") earns little in the markband.
The paper you are practising for
Paper 1: extended response
Three questions, one per unit (2 microeconomics, 3 macroeconomics, 4 the global economy). Answer one. Part (a) 10 marks, usually Explain with a diagram; part (b) 15 marks, usually Discuss, Evaluate or To what extent, with real-world examples.
Command terms
AO1: Define, Describe, List, Outline, State. AO2: Analyse, Apply, Comment, Explain, Suggest. AO3: Compare, Contrast, Discuss, Evaluate, Examine, Justify, Recommend, To what extent. Part (a) sits at AO2, part (b) at AO3.
Timing
About 5 minutes to choose and plan, 25 minutes for part (a), 40 minutes for part (b), and 5 minutes to check that every diagram is labelled and the conclusion answers the question set.
Common mistakes
- Answering part (b) as a longer part (a): more explanation without a judgement. The top markband needs evaluation that weighs arguments and reaches a conclusion.
- A diagram with unlabelled axes or missing curve labels (MSC, MSB, MPC, MPB), or no arrow on the shift, loses the diagram marks even when the explanation is right.
- Generic examples ("a country with a sugar tax") instead of a named, dated case with a figure.
- Spending 45 minutes on part (a) and running out of time on the 15-mark part (b), which is worth more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ExamTeX know the IB Economics command terms?
Yes. The IB Economics style writes extended-response questions with IB command terms, with Discuss or Evaluate questions carrying 15 marks, and you can adjust point values in the editor to the 10 + 15 split. Each question comes with a mark scheme listing the points an IB examiner would credit.
Can it give me three questions to choose from, like the real paper?
Yes. Ask for three essay questions and tick units 2, 3 and 4 so the questions spread across them. Sit one in 75 minutes, as in the exam, and keep the other two for later sessions. You can edit any question in the editor before printing.
Is the mark scheme as detailed as the IB one?
It is written as indicative content with the diagram described, the chain of reasoning and the evaluation points, plus a note on what separates the markbands. It is not the official markscheme; use it to self-mark and to see what a full answer must contain.
Can I practise Paper 2 the same way?
Yes. Choose short-answer and graph-analysis questions instead of essays and ask for a data-response structure in the instructions; the free IB Economics Paper 2 practice exam shows the format. Paper 3 (HL) works with calculation questions.
Is it free?
You can try it free, without a card. The free plan includes 2 practice exams a month, with a watermark on the PDF, and generating from the built-in sample notes does not use one of them. Pro costs €9.99 a month for unlimited practice exams without the watermark; the Exam Pass gives you the same for 30 days for a one-time €4.99 (exam-season price until 15 December; normally €9.99) and does not renew.
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